April Showers bring May flowers

                                We hope all the showers this week bring flowers in May!

The most awesome experience happened when we went to the Palmyra Ward on Sunday April 27th.  The first person to introduce themselves to us, in the chapel, was my cousin Bruce Nickell.  I had not seen him since he was about 6 years old. His Mother, Idonna, is my fathers sister.  Below is a picture of me (the youngest in the picture) with Bruce's mother Idonna and her sister Renae.  Idona is the older sister.  I felt the heaven's very close on Sunday as I visited with Bruce.  It is a small world in the church.  Families are forever!

We had a delightful Fireside with Elder William Walker on Sunday evening.  He told the story of when his first child was born.  He had a best friend who had their first child on the same day.  They were discussing this miraculous event and his friend commented that he was so moved at this sweet babies birth, but the hospital staff acted like it was a routine event and that it happened every day, no big deal!  Elder Walker requested, from us, that when we do the ordinances for people, don't act like that is what we do everyday...be excited that we are helping that person do their work for their first time.  We are to remember how we felt when we were doing our own work.  Then he gave several stories about how President Monson always focuses on "The One".  I'm writing this down to help me remember how important the work is that we are doing here in Palmyra...Help me lest I forget!

Monday evening we went to our first Home Evening with all the Temple Missionaries.  President & Sister Brighton and all the Presidency along with several missionaries fed us dinner and then we met our Mission President ARTHUR Francis and his wife Sherry.  They preside over the Rochester New York Mission which we are part of.  He and his wife are in their early 50's and are parents of 7 sons and 1 daughter.  They have two granddaughters.  They are from California. Four of their sons are here with them and another is returning from his mission this Thursday.  They have another son serving in the Pocatello, Idaho mission!   They are a delightful "young" couple and we feel fortunate to be under their tutorship.

The couple with them in this picture are Elder Ted and Sister Phyllis Bardo.  They are our next door neighbors in the Inn.  They are converts from Houston and are here serving for 6 months. They are the parents of five children also.  They informed us that we do not have to pay to do our laundry...we just get a key from the front desk.  Also we can have housekeeping  clean once a week.  Now they are good neighbors..I did not know this information...are we being blessed, or what?  We love our neighbors! 

President Thomas and Linda Brighton are the President and Matron of this Palmyra New York Temple.  He was a Mission President in Ireland, and they served together in Bejing China and now are the Temple President and Matron for here.  Sister Brighton is a twin and has wanted to live by her twin sister since they both got married.  The Brighton's lived in this area for over 25 years and finally bought a home in Utah next door to her twin sister.  They have owned that home for 14 years now and still have not been neighbors as both couples keep serving missions.  They hope when they get released from the temple presidency it will happen as they feel old now...ha...do you think they will stay put?

We send greetings to our family and friends...I think this blog should be published for this week.  Tomorrow we get our schedule and the schedule of the ward we will be serving in.  I hope we don't shed tears over what they give us!  If we do perhaps a rose rock will form from our tears as we travel here.  The rose rock (barite) is the legend of Oklahoma and their State Rock.  There are several Indian tribes in New York...one is the Oneida Indians.  Perhaps our tears won't form rose rocks but eating utensils...just trying to make a joke!  The wine-red garnet is the New York gem....very appropriate for this mission. 

LOCAL SITES VISITED:

This morning was cool and cloudy again so we decided to venture out and see The Sacred Grove, The Hill Cumorah Visitors Center and find Alvin's grave.

Alvin's grave is on a hill in Palmyra where the first school was built for the village.  We had to climb stairs to the top of the hill that looked like the pyramid steps in Egypt.

                                              The stairs were mossy on the way up,

                                                            a steep slope on the way down

The front of Alvins headstone.  It is right at the edge of the tall hill.

The back of the headstone...a later version.

The Hill Cumorah Visitors center is located at the base of the hill.  We went inside and saw the Christus Statue and the new film about Jesus's Crucifixion and Resurrection.  The narration for the new film was by the Apostle John.  It was well done.

Jesus gives us hope!

The Joseph Smith Home has several sites on it.  There is the main visitor center which was getting a new roof this morning.  The log cabin where Moroni appeared to Joseph is just next to it and then farther down the road is the home Alvin had started to build for his parents before he died.

This is one of several wells they dug on the property.

The tree in the background is the "Alvin" tree Lucy had them plant when Alvin passed away.

After seeing my daughter pick out so many fun sinks for her new home I was fascinated with the stone sink Lucy had...it only let water out...the water to be put in had to be carried into the sink.

The cellar in this home looked like the Wade home in Tetonia where I always slept when visiting my Grandparents.  The whole cellar was made with river rocks.

 There is a awesome creek that runs in front of the Sacred Grove.

Last when we got back to the Inn we had mail....see the plastic slots behind Grandpa Art.  Those are the missionaries mail boxes.  Grandpa said to tell you, hint hint!  You'de think his birthday is coming sometime soon...Ha!

To have walked where the Smith's walked was totally inspiring today.  To ponder the visit that Joseph received in the first vision is humbling.  Grandpa and I pondered how many places Our Heavenly Father and The Savior have visited on the earth.  I am sure there are many.  Perhaps They will visit where you live today.  I hope so.  We know They have walked the halls of the temples.  May we be blessed to feel Their Spirits and love always.  Hug's to each of you.   Don't be concerned with all the blogging done this week...next week I will be serving and there will be way less blogging...but while I had your attention I had to acquaint you with our lives at the present !

Beginning the temple missionary experience:

Beginning the temple missionary experience:

While it is fresh on my mind I want to relate our experience on our first visit to the Palmyra Temple last evening.  We drove to the parking lot as it was raining and the wind was cold.  It is quite a distance from the parking lot to the main east entrance, almost the same distance as our Yukon home to the OKC Temple!  There are several steps to climb before walking to the entrance...that will take some getting used to.  There were three people at the entrance taking pictures, in the rain.  They had traveled here from London.     

President and Sister Brighton were there to greet us.  He is tall and slim and she is small and slim.  They had lived in this area for over 25 years some time ago.  They told us we would grow to love this area.  President gave Art and I wonderful blessings.  With all these prayers we have been given, The Lord has his work put out to answering such marvelous blessings as have been given us.  

We met several missionaries who are finishing this week and were weepy as their tasks are over.  There was one other new couple there from Safford, Arizona last name Morris.  They are serving for 6 months.

My first glimpse of the temple were the beautiful doors that have the glass etchings of The Sacred Grove.  It is a lovely temple inside and out. Art and I are going to be very comfortable serving there.

The coordinator put me right to work and gave me a shift, on the schedule, of a Sister that could not be there last night. I caught myself saying, "That isn't how we did it in the OKC Temple".  Hopefully the sisters did not hear me.  They are all such awesome women.  I met one sister who had lost her husband just a couple of months ago.  He went upstairs to lay down and that was when he passed away, quietly, but shockingly for his wife.  There are several couples who live around here and they told us where to shop etc.  We learned of children, grandchildren and homes that are the center of these wonderful peoples lives.

This Sunday there is going to be a Fireside in the evening.  Elder Walker who is head of the temple department in SLC is speaking.  We just met him at our training in Utah.  I will write what he teaches us then.    

Oh no, We left our garden home...this is the lettuce we were growing in our Oklahoma home...guess Ryan & Sarah get to reap the benefits of our green thumb.

We drove to Lake Ontario today....burr it was very cold water. 

 We also drove by Brantling Ski Hill, it was very interesting to us because we love to ski.

Taken from the bottom of the hill

                                                        taken from the top of the hill

                                                                       Brantling lodge

We also did our laundry today.  I felt like I was back in college....1.50 for washing and .75 for drying.  Such fun!

That's it for this missionary moment.  Good night.

We arrived at Palmyra Inn on the 22nd of April.  We were assigned room 232.  They were still cleaning up from the former tenants the evening before.   No new paint for us!  This is the pictures of the room along with a picture of The Hill at Cumorah.  It was raining as we drove up so decided to choose another day to walk up to the monument.   I couldn't figure how to put the picture last.  It is not in the middle of this motel room!

We both got up and exercised at 6:30 am.  I rode a stationary bike.  I really miss the pool at the Mitch Park Y, but will be faithful and continue the exercise.

Tonight is our first shift at the Palmyra Temple.  We are meeting with President Brighton at 4:15 pm today to get set apart and then we will serve during the 5:00pm shift.

I hope the Sacred Grove see's spring soon....it looks pretty dark and dreary now...however there are some buds forming on the branches.

Please tell our grandson Cannon that his duckling and egg are hanging in our new abode!

Hug's to each of you.  We are following Him in Faith and hope you are too.

Leaving our home for Palmyra Inn

APRIL BEGINS OUR NEW YORK TEMPLE MISSION

We plan on freezing the remainder of this 2013 winter, enjoying  2014 spring, participate in pageantry in the summer and totally enjoy the falling leaves in the fall.

We hope we are acclimated for 2014 winter…"because cold really bothers us anyway".  We are preparing to serve for one year so will be released in the spring of 2015…just a hop and a skip away.

WE ARE PLANNING ON LEARNING TO ENJOY EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME.

We are going to attempt to write all our happenings, per request, for family and friends.  Wish us luck…this is the 1st!